Grease

[Michael Maurice]

For a number of years I've been using LM2 Multipurpose grease lithium based manufactured by Carlube

However I've had two record players come back after 3 years where the turntable is running slow because the grease has dried up on turntable bearing.

Can anyone recommend a grease that is more suitable and reliable for repairing record decks?

[Records]

I have used coppergrease, its used on car brake parts but is also a good lubricant.
I have used it on a couple of record players and not had a problem, it doesn't dry up or go hard.

[Nickthedentist]

I use "Accrolube PTFE Grease" which is an American product seldom seen over here.
http://www.proairsolutions.co.uk/pne...n-1-5-oz-tube/

It came with some dental equipment but is just the job for autochangers and clocks as it's light yet claims not to migrate.

['LIVEWIRE?']

At one time I used to use Molykote for sliding surfaces. It was reccomended by Bosch UK for use in Blaupunkt Car Cassette Mechanisms, but worked just as well in Record players and autochangers.

[kalee20]

MS4 silicone grease? I'd think it would be smoother than copper grease, but feel free to argue otherwise!

[paulsherwin]

I am very surprised to learn that automotive lithium grease dries up within 3 years. I have cans of it in the garage which are more than 20 years old with no signs of hardening.

I don't do a lot of decks, but when I do I use a tube of MOD surplus 'Mobil Shackleton Propeller Grease' which I bought from WS Supplies in Oxford in the 80s. This appears to be a very high quality light grease which never seems to dry up. I appreciate that you can't buy it from your local Halfords, but if anybody finds it on sale anywhere I can recommend it.

[Boater Sam]

Fluid grease was common in steering racks, it's stackable oil if you get my meaning.

[Herald1360]

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

I am very surprised to learn that automotive lithium grease dries up within 3 years. I have cans of it in the garage which are more than 20 years old with no signs of hardening.

I suspect the "in a can" aspect is in play here. Ordinary grease is oil and soap and the soap part dries up when out in the open. Inside rubber boots and wheelbearings etc it's fairly well protected from the atmosphere but in parts like kingpins it's well known for seizing them up if they're not regreased regularly to push out the old grease.

[ms660]

According to a BSR manual I was looking at, the turn table's bush bearing should be oiled not greased, the ball race that the turntable it sits on should be greased.

Lawrence.

[Boater Sam]

As a general engineering rule, bush type bearings should be oiled, ball and roller races greased. Any 'total loss' drip feed bearings, oil, as steam engines.
Plastic bearings, dry graphite only.
There are of course many exceptions.

[indigo.girl]

Originally Posted by ms660

According to a BSR manual I was looking at, the turn table's bush bearing should be oiled not greased, the ball race that the turntable it sits on should be greased.

What are the bush bearings?

I heard somewhere if it slides it should be greased - so apart from the ball race under the turntable the grease should only be used where levers slide against each other. Is that about right?

[emeritus]

Don't know this model, but possibly it uses the type of bearing (AFAIR porous bronze) that retains oil.

[Radio_Dave]

I imagine the turntable bearing to be phosphor bronze? If so it's a bad idea to apply grease to it. I suspect the bearing has drawn the oil from the grease.

Regards
David

[Station X]

A "plain" bearing is one that does not use balls or rollers to reduce friction. Such a bearing may be bushed. That is to say a cylinder of "yellow metal" is pressed into the outer part of the bearing, such as the turntable, and rotates on the inner part of the bearing such as a shaft.

The bush may have grooves in it to retain oil, or it may be porous, Oolite SP? bushes being an example.

If the comparatively soft bush wears it can be pressed out and a new one fitted.

[ms660]

Originally Posted by indigo.girl

What are the bush bearings?

I heard somewhere if it slides it should be greased - so apart from the ball race under the turntable the grease should only be used where levers slide against each other. Is that about right?

A typical bush bearing, usually sintered:

http://www.wychbearings.co.uk/ai0810...FRQTGwod-AEIcg

No grease, only oil.

Shown in the turntable in the 4th picture here:

http://www.maritimevinyl.ca/2014/09/...intenance.html

EDIT: Post crossed.

Lawrence.

[PsychMan]

I feared this might be the case. A colleague at work who seems to know his lubricants told me the same, that lithium grease will go bad in not too much time. Frustrating as I'd regreased a few decks with it myself!

Outside of automotive shops, its very hard to find general purpose grease that's not lithium based, in my experience anyway

[Ted Kendall]

Superlube works for me.

[Nickthedentist]

Looks good: https://www.s3i.co.uk/Loctite-Superl...rease-85g.html

[dseymo1]

i used some white lithium grease on my car door hinges a year or so ago, because it happened to be to hand, and it's already 'dried'. It obviously has its uses, but lubricating commonplace levers and pivots doesn't appear to be one of them.
Like Nick, I use a little pot of rather nice Teflon-loaded grease for turntables and such; another of those products intended for a special purpose - I forget what now.
I was recently reading about how lubricants work, and it's much more complex than one might imagine, particularly in ballraces and such, hence the wide range of products available.

[Scimitar]

Copper grease is not intended as a lubricant. It is used to prevent corrosion in things like mating surfaces that don't move against each other. Good example just today, where I used it on a brake disc to hub joint. Copper grease is generally acknowledged to actually be an abrasive, so no use at all for bearings.

One other automotive product that might do is red brake grease. No idea if it is suitable, but worth looking into perhaps!